"We Want Wolf!"

That's what union workers chanted yesterday at Tom Wolf's rally at a supermarket in South Philadelphia. According to recent surveys released by Franklin & Marshall College and Muhlenberg College, Wolf is ahead in the polls by double digits (12-13 percentage points to be exact). If Wolf keeps this lead through the midterm elections, Corbett could make history! No Pennsylvania governor has lost a re-election attempt since 1854, but for Pennsylvania's sake I hope Wolf is victorious.

Under Tom Corbett, job creation has plummeted. During Corbett's first term as governor, Pennsylvania ranked 50th in job creation. If you haven't realized, that's dead last...What's worse is the fact that Tom Corbett slashed about $1 billion dollars from Pennsylvanian education and laid off thousands of teachers. Due to this "axe at education", students in Pennsylvania schools have had to cope with larger class sizes, less resources, and less teachers/staff.  With the rising costs of college tuition and the expectations of colleges and universities, how does Tom Corbett expect the next generation to succeed with the current quality of education in Pennsylvania? "I believe that children are our future; teach them well and let them lead the way." I'm sorry, Whitney Houston, but I don't think Tom Corbett shares your beliefs. Apparently he only cares about his precious gas companies and giving tax breaks to large corporations, but who's to say?

Pennsylvania needs a fresh start. Tom Wolf's campaign focuses on strengthening the middle class by creating more jobs, implementing a reasonable 5% extraction tax on natural gas, and creating a better system of education for Pennsylvania students. Wolf has a considerable lead over Corbett in the polls, and Corbett has a steep hill to climb if he doesn't want to be the first gubernatorial incumbent to lose since the 19th century.In 2010, exit polls showed that Corbett acquired 15% of the votes from self-identified Democrats and 93% from Republicans; the Franklin & Marshall survey released on October 29th, 2014 reports that Corbett only has 75% of the Republican and 7% of the Democrat vote.

This lead could actually hurt Tom Wolf, with respect to voter turnout. Because the polls seem to show that Wolf will win, many voters may not feel the need to show up. According to Wes Leckrone, associate professor at Widener University, Democratic turnout is low for midterm elections and that turnout will be a key factor in the election.

With that said: GO AND VOTE PENNSYLVANIA! But not for Corbett...


Sources:
1) Creason, Naomi. "Tom vs. Tom." N.p., 1 Nov. 2014. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
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2) Fitzgerald, Thomas. "THE FINAL DASH." Philadelphia Inquirer. H.F. Lenfest, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. 

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3) "Read Tom Wolf's Plan to Give Pennsylvania a Fresh Start - Tom Wolf for Governor." Tom Wolf's Plan to Give Pennsylvania a Fresh Start. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. 

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